Apparatus for closing the ends of cartons or like receptacles



Oct. 4, 1932. A. G. Rosa 1,881,133

APPARATUS FOR CLOSING THE ENDS OF CARTONS OR LIKE RECEPTACLES Filed Oct. 24, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 4, 1932. ROSE 1,881,133

APPARATUS FOR CLOSING THE ENDS OF CARTONS OR LIKE) RECEPTACLES Filed Oct. 24, 19255 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 A. G. ROSE 1,881,133

APPARATUS FOR CLOSING "THE ENDS OF CARTONS 0R LIKE RECEPTACLES Oct. 4, 1932.

- Filed Oct. 24, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Aryan 72"?- Oct. 4, 1932.- 055 1,881,133

APPARATUS FOR CLOSING THE ENDS OF CARTONS OR LIKE REGEPTACLES Filed Oct. 24. 1929 s Sheets-Sheet 4 nvvawror 0a. 4, 1932. A. G. ROSE 1,881,133

APPARATUS FOR CLOSING THE ENDS OF CARTONS OR LIKE RECEPTACLEs Filed Oct. 24, 1929 5 SheetsSheet 5 Y- I- V I I.

WMZZQMM I Patented 0.1.4; 1932 1 N ED STATES PATENT oF IcE ALF ED GERMAN ROSE, OF earnsnononerr, ENeLANnAssIGNoR OF ONE-HALF TO ROSE enornmas (GAINSBOROUGH) LIMITED, or GAINSBOROUGH, ENGLAND, A BRITISH cotrrauy I r ArrAner'UsroR CLOSING THE nuns on campus on LIKE RECEPTACLES This'invention is for improvements in or 1 "relating to apparatus designed for the purgri,

'pose'of closing the ends of cartons or like receptacles of the kind having a flap contiguous with one of the sides of the carton i and arranged tobe bent over the open mouth,

and a strip along the free edge of the flap which is arranged to be bent over in the form of a taband tucked between the opposing carton side and the contents.

: This invention accordingly provides apparatus for the purpose specified, comprising in combination mechanlsm arranged to bulge one side of the carton away from the conaforesaid. Preferably, there is combined with-apparatus as above described a con-v veyor which is intermittently movable to more of the successive tions are effected. v

' The bulging mechanism may comprise s cillating bulging members arranged to con- "tact with and to exert pressure on those two opposed sides ofthe carton flanking the side portion with which the flap is contiguous and the folding means aforesaid may comprise tab-bending mechanism operable tobend the-tab to a position substantially at"right angles to the flap, a flap-turning member (e. g. the "stationary plough 28) arranged to engage thefiap and to turn it towards the open mouth of the carton, and

a flap-closing member, operable in timedrelationship with the tucking finger aforesaid to engage the surface of the partially closed flap and to fold it down upon'the open mouth of the carton." V According to asubsidiary feature of this invention the tab-bending mechanism comprises a stationary abutment and an oscillating element movable towards and away from said abutment jand'arranged during its advance to bend the flap over the abutment.

-Further,'locating members may be provided :which are arranged toeng age two opposed "the folding mechanism.

Application filedoctoberrfl; 1929, Serial no. 402,270, and in Great Britain October 26, 1928.

sides of the carton and are intermittently operable in step with the folding means aforesaid to position the carton during the insertion of the tab. Preferably,'-these l0- Y gitudinally to transport the carton, out of the operative position in a reverse direction to its original movement and is returned parallel to the carton'path to its first position.

One construction according to this invention will now be described with reference to the-accompanying drawings, in which Figuresl 6 show a carton in the various stages of closure;

- Figure 7 is a general arrangementof carton-closing machine according to thisinven- 7 tion;

j Figure 8 is an elevation of the machine toward the right in Figure 7 Figure'9 shows in plan the conveyor actuating mechanism; 4 I

Figure 10 is a continuation of Figure 9. Figure 11 shows in plan'certain parts of In this machine, the cartons partially folded as shown inFigure 1, are fed along achannel 24 (see Figure 10) a second channel 25'leads at right angles from the first channel and the cartons are discharged into this second channel by an oscillating plunger 26 and are picked up by a conveyor 27 During their, intermittent transport by this conveyor the various folding operations are completed. 5

As seen in Figure'l, the closure flap 21 is bent'outward-ly from the carton 20. During its movement along the second channel 25, this flap contacts with a twisted guide plate or plough 28 which bends it up to the position shown in Figure 2. At this stage the flap lies alongside an abutment 29, see F igures 7 and 11, and an oscillating tab folder 30 moves forward and bends the tab 22 over "the abutment until it stands at right angles the fiapand tab "under ia serrii-(iiroulrirlguidii plate'3l which maintains themin their correct angularv position to each other and a continuation of-the twisted; guide plate 28' bends the flap over towards the open 'mouth of the' carton;' thisistage is shown in Figure At this point a'preSsure'elementSQI is P moved-"forward intofeontact withthe side E23 of the earton to "eoi'npress slightly the contents; This pressure element 32 is mount- 7 ed; with the tab folder and a pair of forked bulging members 39 (whose functions are explained below): upon-a bracket 33 which is pivoted at, 34 to: lever 35 (pivoted on a shaft issue-he machine bed) oscillated by f acamfifi and'roller 37' the roller beingmaint'ained in contact with the cam by a spring- WhiQhziS not shown. The bracketis connect-i ed by ajlink 38f t'o the bed of themachineto ensurehorizontal movement 7 is Thefbulgmg members 39/;fl16fidY LIlC6ClWlhll "the; pressure element 32,; and contact with-the I narrowsides OftllQOtLltOIlllQXb inqadvance (see F gurell). 'Due to: the convergent or forked shapeotgtliefbulging members these sides are pressed inwards, causing; the" side in the channel.

23 to bulge outwardsinto a recess 7e provided.

1 Mounted for afvertioal, oseillation above the carton atjthe station atwhich; the bulg ing member isrnountedf at 52; on the f ree end oil an oseillating iarmi,42 which is-lin'ked at its revenues to a bracket 4E5 on the ma chine'frame. Intermediate of the link Maud w an upstanding bracket 3.101;

The flap' 'elosing memberis provided above its pivot 52 with ;a vertical extension 53, one side ofjwh ch is in contaetgwit a rol er 54 on the; machine "frame. .fl his arrangement 7 ensures a correctmovement of the flap clos- -memb-er.} The tucking finger 4-1 is mount- ,ed in a similar mannerfon;oscillating arm 55,

7 links :56 and and levjer58 Midis-PTO- ;v.ided'. with a similar vertical extension ancllroller (id- Thefl-ap closingmember and -the; tuckingfinger are brought downwards s atorabout thesame time, the first to-press lithe flap2 1 towards theopen mouth of the earton'andfthefseeond to. insert -the bent ,Jovert a'b 22 intolthebulge between the carton side23'andthe contents; A pair of locating v ;members,61, arranged to contac-t with the v leading and trailing sides of the carton to locate the. latter during-theoperations just described-are niounted upon the flap closing.

member 7 $1 x'eles naZorsmtieih v ng b en, ce

pleted, the carton is traversed to a final sta tion (shown in Figure 11) wherea pusher 194E isope'rated bylever iz fi, roller 96 andcani 97 toeject the carton through an aperture in the wall. of the channel 25.

The 'conve '01'2? which z oinnrises a' bar' v y 7 Jr a with a series of fingers 63 extending thore-- from through a side wall of the-channel 25 to engage the cartonais operated with the pusher 26 as follows; The conveyor i'spivotally attached'at .98 and 99 to the lowerarms 64, 65 of the pair of heil-cranklevers whose "upperarms' 66, 67 are joined by a link 68.

These bell-crank levers are pivoted at 169,70

to a movable framework '71', an extension 72 of whichcarries'the pusher 26;

The movable framework is jointed by apivot pin 73 to an outer end. of a roller'ar n Z6, which isitseltpiv'oted at 77 to'the ma :chine frame and is oscillated by arroller 78 cam 79 and aspring',(not shown), the ends of whioh [are hooked respectively to a stud- 80'in'; the roller arniand a further stud 81 .on theendof a mot on arm 82;] ThlSrl'fiO- tion arm isalso pivoted at 'Z'Zto the machine frame vand. is provided withj'a roller 83 in contact with second cam 84 rnounted -w1th shaft-85., -The, end of a projection 86 on'the motion arm is held by the spring aforesaid:

in yielding 'contac'twitha stop 879cm the roller arm. 'lheinovable framework 71; is also pivoted at SStoa se'condlever 89 jointed to the machine frame at 90 the arrangement of double levers r 'ivin' substantiall naraim a l lel movement i To thelink 68' joining the upper arms 66,767 of the two bell-crank levers carry ng the conveyor is pivoted a ler ver '91, jointed to the frame at -77 ,and 08011-7 lated' by a roller 92 and ca 93 mounted. l ft85. a

In the position shown Figures l0, 7

the movable framework 71 the pusher 26 and the conveyor 27 is about to move hori zontally to the ri-ght.-- At the endof its travel the cam 93; co-operates with, roller 92 and lever91 to rook the bell-orankjievers 64,65

and 65 67 and to move the fingers 63 through. :the channel wall out of contact with the cartons. I lhe conveyor in this retracted position and the pusher are now returned to. the

left at whichpoint the bell-crank levers are again rocked to bring] the 'conveyor fingers r the first cam 79 on a continuously rotating -i;hrjough the channel fintoia positionuwhere "they-may vengage the rear sides of fresh cartonsia 5 Vf v The spring between the motion arni' 82 and the roller' arm 75 maintains the-roller 78 inengagement with the cam; 7 Qandalso 'pre .vents the movable framework s'ilbeing moved to, the left .by-lever 91- 'whenthellatter is swungto movethe fingers 63 i I i into engagementwiththe eartons.- n l cl a1m:'---

.1 l- A. a t n PlQ ifigi imh l j i fip b 9 covering the open mouth, and astrip along the free edge of this flap to be bent over in the form of a tab and inserted between the Opposing side of the carton and the contents,

' comprising the combination of ano-scillatable pressure element and means to move it into contact with that carton side which is 0pposed to the flap to. slightly compress the contents, oscillating grippers for exerting pressure on the two sides of the carton which i a flank the side opposed to the flap to bulge it awayfrom the contents, folding means for folding the flap down upon the open mouth,

a tucking finger, and means to move it in synchr'onism with the folding means to guide a the tab into the previously formed bulge.

- 2. A carton-closing machine operable on cartons of the kind having a closureflap contlguous wlth one s1de of the carton for coveri ing the open mouth and a strip along the free edge of'this flap tolbebent over in'the form of'a tab and inserted between the opposing side oft-he carton and the contents, comprising the combination of meansfor bulging this opposing side of the carton outwardly, a

pressure element and means to move it previously to the bulging operation into contact with the opposed carton side to compress slightly the contents, folding means for folding the flap down upon the open mouth, a

tucking finger, and means to move it in synchronism with the folding means to guide the tab into the previously formed bulge.

3. A carton-closing machine operable on cartons of the kind havinga closure flap contiguous with one side of the carton for covering the open mouth and a strip along the free edge of this flap to be bent over in the form 1 of a tab and insertedbetween the opposing side of the carton and the contents, comprising the combination of oscillating bulging members and means for moving them towards the carton to exert pressure upon the two sides of the carton flanking that side with which the flap is contiguous to bulge the carton side opposed to the flap away from the contents, tab-bending mechanism for bending the tab to a position substantially at right angles to the flap, and a flap-closing member 7 operable to engage the-fiapand fold it down of a tab and inserted between the opposing upon the open mouth with the tab in the aforesaid angular position and simultaneous-- ly to force the tab into the bulge aforesaid.

4. A carton-closing machine operable on cartons of the kind having a closure flap contiguous with one side of the carton for covering the open mouth and a strip along the free edge of this flap to be bent over in theform side of the carton and the contents, comprising the combination of a pressure element and means for moving it into contact with the carton to compress slightly the contents, me-

chanicalmeansfor bulging the aforesaidopposing side of the carton outwardly,tab'-bending mechanism for bending the'tab to a p0s1- tion substantially at right angles tothe flap, a flap-closing memberoperable to engage the ing thetab at right anglesto the flap'during the closing'inovement.

5. A carton-closing machine operable on cartons of the kind having a closure flap contiguous with one side of the carton for covering the open mouth and a strip along the free edge of this flap to be bent over in the form of a tab and inserted between the opposing side of the carton and the contents, comprising the combination of means for bulging this opposing side of the carton outwardly, a stationary abutment, an oscillating tab folder, means for moving the tab folder towards the abutment and thereby bending the tab over the-abutment until it stands at right angles to the flap, folding means for folding the flap ,downupon the open mouth and means for away from the contents including bulging members of forked convergent shape and means for moving them towards the carton to wedge the latter within the fork, meams for bending the tab to a position substantially at right angles to the flap, and means for turning the flap with the tab in said position down onto the open mouth of the carton and for inserting the tab into the previously formed bulge. I

7. A carton-closing machine operable on cartons of the kind having a closure flap contiguous with one side of the carton for covering the open mouth and a strip along the free edge of this flap to be bent over in the form of'at'ab and inserted between the opposing side of the carton and the contents, comprising the combination of a conveyor for moving the cartons intermittently along a feed track, a plurality of fingers on said conveyor, means including a parallel-motion mechanism for moving the conveyor transversely of the feed track to insert a finger behind each carton, along the feed track to transport the cartons, transversely of the track to withdraw the fingers from engagement, and finally parallel to the feed track into its original position, a pressure element and means to move it into contact with the carton side to compress slightlythe contents, mechanical meansrfer bulging the opposing side of the carton out- Wards away from the c'ontents feldingmeans r for foldihgthe flap down 'upon the open 5 mouth, a tucking finger and means to-move itiin synchronism with the folding means to guide the tab into'- the previouslyformed I .bulge. In testimony whereof afilx my signature.

2:10 7 V ALFRED GERMAN'ROSE. 

